First HMong pan-pipe festival opens in Ha Giang

The first pan-pipe festival of the H’Mong ethnic group opened in Dong Van Stone Plateau in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang on August 31, attracting hundreds of ethnic artists.

The festival aims to preserve and develop cultural values related to the H’Mong pan-pipe – a symbolic image of this ethnic group, thus further promoting the local ethnic culture to the outside world. Pan-pipe is a traditional instrument of the H’Mong community, which holds an important position in their cultural and spiritual lives. The sound of pan-pipes also serves as a bridge linking H’Mong men with their partners. Visitors to the three-day event have chances to watch pan-pipe dancing performances and learn about the origin and history of this musical instrument. They can also participate in some traditional H’Mong games, and enjoy special dishes of ethnic minority groups living on the stone plateau. Also on this occasion, an art exhibition featuring paintings by veteran artist Do Duc has been open to public. The painter has visited the karst plateau many times and fell in love with the land and its people, who have given him great inspiration for his artworks. Co-organised by the Vietnam News Agency’s The Thao & Van Hoa (Sports and Culture) newspaper and the Dong Van district People’s Committee, the exhibition displays 20 oil paintings highlighting Ha Giang’s mountain and people. Dong Van Karst Plateau, a member of the Global Network of National Geo-parks since 2010, is 80 percent limestone and contains the fossils of thousands of species of prehistoric creatures from 400-600 million years ago. It is home to 250,000 people from 17 different ethnic groups.(Source: VNA)